Job Details

This job is not for everyone.

If you're comfortable with your current setup — the predictable sprints, the 47-person Slack channel for a single feature flag, the quarterly roadmap that never changes — this isn't for you. No hard feelings.

But if you've been staring at your screen thinking "I used to actually build things," then keep reading.

We're PamirAI — a 9-person startup building Distiller, a dedicated computer for AI agents. Not another SaaS dashboard. Not another cloud wrapper. A real, physical machine that ships to customers and lets AI agents control other computers. We've sold 400+ units and we're gearing up for our next major launch.

We need a kernel engineer who wants to own the entire low-level software stack — from U-Boot to userspace. We're building the computer for AI agents, and we believe agency matters more than knowledge. If you're the kind of person who figures things out — not the kind who waits to be told — keep reading.

What You'll Actually Work On

You'll own the low-level software that makes our hardware work — from boot to drivers to system integration.

• BSP and board bring-up — getting new boards from "nothing on serial" to fully booting Linux. This is the core of the job.
• U-Boot bootloader — customization, configuration, and debug for our platform.
• Kernel driver development — writing and maintaining drivers for displays, communication buses, power management, and peripheral muxing.
• Device tree work — pin configuration, peripheral setup, and platform integration.
• System-level work — power management, OTA update systems, and boot optimization.
• Hardware collaboration — working directly with Kevin on schematic reviews, signal integrity, and board debug. You'll have test equipment on your desk.

If you also have MCU/RTOS experience, even better — we have embedded microcontrollers in the system and the ability to work across both Linux and firmware makes you incredibly valuable here.

Who We're Looking ForMust-Haves

• Strong BSP and board bring-up experience on ARM platforms.
• Deep understanding of U-Boot — you can configure, customize, and debug it without hand-holding.
• Linux kernel driver development — SPI, UART, device trees, interrupt handling, character devices. You've written real drivers, not just loaded modules.
• Proficient in C. Comfortable reading schematics and datasheets.
• Debugging with JTAG, serial consoles, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate. We work in person.

Nice-to-Haves

• MCU firmware development — FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or bare-metal on ARM Cortex-M.
• Experience with Rockchip, NXP, or similar ARM SoC ecosystems.
• Yocto / Buildroot for custom Linux distributions.
• Wire protocol experience — binary framing, checksums, error recovery.
• USB-C Power Delivery at the driver level.
• Upstream Linux kernel or U-Boot contributions.
• You actively use AI agents (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) to write and debug code. We're building the hardware for AI agents — we want someone who lives in that world.

What We're Not Looking For

Let's save each other some time. This role is not a good fit if:

• You need someone to hand you tasks every morning.
• You want to specialize in one narrow subsystem and never touch anything else.
• You've only worked in application-level software and want to "try out" embedded. We need someone who's been in the trenches.
• You optimize for process over shipping. We have 9 people and a product to launch.

The Deal

• Structu2-month contractor engagement first. Converts to full-time after mutual fit.
• Salary: $120,000 – $200,000 depending on experience (full-time).
• LocatioBay Area, in person. Relocation support available.
• Gear: Keysight oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, dev boards, and test equipment on your desk. Not just a MacBook.

Why This Might Be the Move

If you're at a big company right now, you probably recognize some of these:

• Your code goes through 4 review cycles before anyone tests it on real hardware.
• You wrote a driver once. Now you maintain someone else's config files.
• Your "impact" is measured in OKR dashboards, not in products people hold in their hands.
• You haven't touched an oscilloscope since school, and you miss it.
• You know you're capable of more, but the org chart won't let you prove it.

Here, your code boots the machine. Your driver talks to the hardware. When a customer unboxes Distiller and it lights up — that's your work.

No cover letter. No LeetCode. We'll read your code and talk shop.